


Living

by KathrynAKelly



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Flirting, Friendship, Gen, Lovable lesbians, M/M, Multi, Rating May Change, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, there's a plot!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-27 02:44:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17758280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KathrynAKelly/pseuds/KathrynAKelly
Summary: Post-Pacifist run. Lots of fluff and flirting. Family drama. Slow burn Sans/OC. Papyrus is a cinnamon roll. The cinnamon roll knows more than he lets on. Weary Sans doesn’t make as many puns and Papyrus worries. Sans doesn’t like Humans.Also: Frisk arrived and saved the Monsters as the famine of Horrortale was only just beginning (it’s hinted at and not crucial to the story, which means no Monsters have eaten Human flesh; this is classic Undertale, not Horrortale, although I love that AU and you should read it if you haven’t).It’s planned to be fifteen parts, although that could change; this is the first five, and mostly set up for the plot and characters; number six is in progress. I will love you forever if you leave feedback.





	Living

** **Part One: On the Surface.** **

Mt. Ebott was one of those mountains no one ever visited. Its gentle slopes were too tame for climbing enthusiasts, and the dense, feral forest growth kept casual hikers and families alike at bay. It stood, equally serene as it was ominous. The autumn leaves, bathed in sunset-glow, were a fire and gold backdrop contrasting the grey concrete of the Town of Ebott where I resided. The city had carried that name for nearly 150 years, and, like the wild grasses at Mt. Ebott’s base, it had outgrown the moniker. The day I arrived back here, some eight months previous, there had been a decaying wood sign on the outskirts: “WELCOME TO SCENIC TOWN OF EBOTT Population: 376,000.”

 

And that was before the Monsters.

 

It’s been less than a year since they popped up from the Underground: anthropomorphic spiders, fish, goats, talking skeletons, moths, and even rocks, people made entirely of fire....It was surreal and yet, my day-to-day routine hadn’t been affected. I went to work. I came home. Sometimes, I would turn on the news.

 

“Military presence surrounding the Monster encampment is expected to be removed following meetings between the Monster ambassador and State officials later this month. Although the content of these meetings has until now been classified, rumours of integration have sparked controversy and protest across the state. More on this at ele-.”

 

“Sorry, BBC, I’ll be asleep long before then.” I put the remote back on the side table and stretched, listening to my joints pop and groan. “Owww, I need a massage.” I thought of taking a shower...or maybe it could wait until morning. I still needed to take out the trash, too. I turned the lights out in my apartment and felt my way around the piles of books, art, and clothes (most of which were clean at the moment) to the bed. God, it wasn’t even my bed, just something neither I nor the previous tenet could be bothered to move. At the least the mattress was new.

 

I didn’t sleep. I watched lights gleam through my curtain, across the ceiling, every time a car went past. I listened to the baby in the apartment below cry. I fingered the holes in my blanket. I looked at the time on my phone. 21:30, 22:06, 22:18, 22:32, 22:57. I turned the TV back on. The news didn’t interest me. Off it went. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep again. Opened my laptop. Checked facebook, and tumblr, and twitter. Checked the time. 23:26. Tried to sleep again. Turned over. The pillow was too lumpy. Turned over. The bed was too hot. Threw off the blanket. Too cold. Pulled it back. Checked the time. 1:19. Went to my home-office, filled out some paperwork for the business. Went back to bed. Went to youtube. Markiplier. Playlists. Scary games. Fell asleep. Is it wrong to still enjoy games about killing monsters now, knowing Monsters are real?

 

My alarm clock chimed at 6:02, like always. Grabbing the first pair of clean trousers I found (flung over the back of my desk chair), I headed to my closet. Most of my clothes may be in heaps on the floor or furniture, but work shirts are always in the closet. “What goes with navy?” I moved a purple blouse out of the way, then a red one, then teal; my hand stopped at a tan button-down, “I __could__ wear this...Okay Google, how’s the weather today?”

 

“Currently, it’s 17 degrees and cloudy. Today’s high will be 24 degrees and sunny throughout the day.”

 

“Thank you, Google.” I put the button-down aside; it would be too hot to wear that today. “T-shirt, not appropriate for work. Polo? There’s paint all over it. Not wearing a dress. Hmm.” I bit my lip and turned away from the closet. Going back to my bed, I started tossing clothes from a pile at the foot of it. Eventually,  my favourite silky, green, sleeve-less top found its way to the top. “Finally. How much time…” I checked my phone, “twenty minutes!? Okay, well, if I take a literal five minute shower, I can still leave on time. Where did I leave my towel?”

 

After a quick wash, which was really just letting the shampoo from washing my hair also wash my body in one fell swoop, I dried off, dressed, grabbed my bag and headed for the door. With my hand on the door, I double checked for my keys and thumb drive. Opened the door. Checked keys again. Closed door. Checked keys. Walked down the four flights of stairs to the building exit, opened that door. Checked keys. Here, I popped in my ear-buds and pressed the play button on my phone. Finally left the apartment, blissfully hurrying along to the bus stop with Assemblage 23 soothing my ears.

 

I checked my phone three times on the way. 6:52 - stopped at the corner store to buy hand sanitizer and a bottle of tea (Covenant). 6:58 - passed the bank (X-Ray Specs). 7:04 - arrived at the bus stop (Voltaire). Early. Six minutes early, and the first person here.

 

Slowly, eight more people arrived. Scott, an older blond man of average build, waved to me as he crossed the street. He said hello, as usual, then something that was muffled by my music. I took one ear-bud out.

 

“Some of my students want to hold a forum about Human-Monster relations; isn’t it exciting, seeing them so involved and interested in their community, reaching out to another culture, and really grasping this opportunity?”

 

“It is, but have they thought of the logistics? When would they host it? __Where?__ Are they going to invite any Monsters as either speakers or audience members?”

 

“That’s why they want to talk to you.” His broad smile gleamed, “You’re the expert on planning and paperwork, after all!”

 

“Why do they know this? Why do you talk to them about me?” I was mortified. What he said was true, but only because I worry incessantly over details and legality (thanks, Dad), “I’ve got about twenty minutes to spare this afternoon if there’re no calls. 12:40 in your classroom?”

 

“Perfect! You’re a doll, Connie - oh, here’s our bus! After you, please.”

 

“Thank you, but please don’t call me Connie. It’s Constance. Always has been.”

 

“Yes, yes, of course.”

 

The bus, a giant blue monstrosity nearly as old as I am, pulled up to the curb and creaked open the door. I held my book, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes _ _,__  in front of me as I ascended the stairs and made my way through the narrow aisle. It was, as usual, packed, but I guess that’s to be expected in the early morning rush. I took the first available seat, about four rows back, next to someone I’m sure worked in the Foreign Languages Department at the local college but I can’t recall their name.

 

It takes roughly fifty minutes to get to work by bus, weather and traffic depending. On a good day, we can finish the trip in forty. Usually the trip is uneventful and I can nap along the way; other times, some arsehole on the road forgets to use a turn signal and swerves in front of the bus like a dumb-fuck, forcing our driver to slam on the brakes as if there are seat-belts in this death contraption. Like now. The collective gasps from passengers around me and the sudden forward momentum certainly woke me up. I asked what’s-her-name if she was okay. She was flustered, but nodded anyway. The ride resumed, and passengers steadily entered and exited the bus as we meandered through the city. I read two chapters.

 

It was not a slow day at work, and it didn’t help that my first clients today was pushing 150kilos, we also got four calls for at-home pick-up. “Alright Constance, go take your lunch.” Anna called out. Oh yeah, this was all before lunch. I’m lucky working in the family business with my sister.

 

“You going to man the front?”

 

“Yeah, we’ve just got one showing this afternoon, and Darrell can cover calls ‘til you get back.”

 

“No, he can’t. I’m taking the van.”

 

“Just don’t touch the radio!” Darrell’s booming voice called from somewhere in the back. Darrell is probably my favourite co-worker, even if he’s only around part-time.

 

“No promises!” I snatched the keys from the office hook and thought about what to eat. Driving to the university takes about 15 minutes, and there are a lot of restaurants on the way, mostly geared towards the students, which is great if you’re on a budget. Paella sounds good, but it’s hard to eat on the way, on the other hand, I do have time. I could park somewhere and eat, but there’s no telling how much time I’m going to need talking to Scott’s students. Fuck it. I’d skipped Cassie’s Bakery this morning, so blueberry doughnuts and tea it is. I left the window down when I parked at Krispy Kreme, but it was a nice day, overcast with no sign of rain; nice and cool. There were a few people in queue ahead of me. It was quiet except for the order exchange between cashier and customer as the queue processed.

 

“Hi, welcome to Krispy Kreme, what can I get you?”

 

“Two blueberry doughnuts and a small tea, please.”

 

“Heh, come on sweetheart, you didn’t get that size drinking small teas.” The guy behind me laughs. I’m used to such comments. The cashier is a younger girl, only a bit thinner than me and clearly uncomfortable with his comment though. Her name tag says Mandy.

 

Mandy gives me a nervous smile. “It’s four thirty-two.”

 

I hand over a fiver, take the change, doughnuts, and drink and sit at a table nearby with a clear view of the register. The gentleman is leaning against the counter top, leering at young Mandy’s cleavage. It’s 12:06. I’m playing with my phone camera. Recording.

 

“So baby, what time you get off tonight? Can I help?”

 

“Uhm, that’s really not appropriate. What can I get you?”

 

“Your number for a start.”

 

“From the menu, I mean…”

 

“Don’t be so cold, sweets, how about a sample?”

 

“Sure, what would you like to try?”

 

“Turn around and let me see those buns.”

 

“Sir, that’s very -”

 

“Oooh, I like it when you call me that, sugar. Wanna get a treat tonight? I can show you a sweet time.”

 

Stop recording. Stand up. Walk over, “Excuse me,” act indignant, “I want to speak to your manager. This tea is disgusting.”

 

“Hey, we’re talking here, the lil lady is helping me right now.”

 

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry ma’am, let me go get him. Sorry sir, it’ll just be a moment.” She rushes away. 12:10.

 

The customer sulks and goes to sit down while we wait - for the manager and hopefully the police - at least, I hope she takes the chance to tell her boss what’s going on. Two minutes later, the guy has apparently gotten bored, and leaves the building, probably to prey on another helpless service-sector employee. Jerk. The manager comes out and asks me about the tea. “I think we should discuss it in your office, actually.” He’s got a smirk on his face. James is an awesome manager; we went to high school together and partnered on a lot of projects. I’m not surprised he ended up in management.

 

12:12. His office is clustered with barely enough room for one chair, let alone the two we’re in. “How’ve you been, James?”

 

“Can’t complain. Mandy said some asswipe was harassing her and I come out to find you complaining about tea. That’s not like you; besides, didn’t know teenagers were your type.”

 

“Eww, they’re not. I’ve got something to show you.” He watches the video on my phone and calls the police.

 

“The creep will be barred from the store, and Sgt. Maria Williams is coming by for the official report. You know her, right?”

 

“Yeah, she can call me later for a statement, but I’ve spent enough time here - have to get over to the university then back to work.”

 

“What are you going to the school for?”

 

“Paperwork.”

 

“Tch, boring. Got enough of that here. See you later, Constance.”

 

“Bye James, bye Mandy!”

 

“Bye! Thanks for your help!”

 

“No problem, see ya!”

 

12:22. The shaking didn’t start until I was back in the company van. “Deep breaths, Constance,” I told myself. “Nothing to worry about. Breathe.” I took a deep breath. Held it. Exhaled. Repeat. “Alright, onwards to uni.” I shook my head and picked the keys out of my purse. It’s a ten minute drive to the main campus: ten minutes to get my head together. I leave the window rolled down as I pull out of the parking lot. The airflow will do my head good. At 12:31, I’m on campus. I’m able to find a space to park in front of the psychology department building, and as much as I’d like to dash inside to make sure I’m on time, I don’t. Instead, I take another deep breath, steeling my nerves, and walk briskly into the building. It’s been eight years since I graduated here. Gods, I remember when Scott was one of my teachers, and now he’s a friend, coming to me to help his students. Deep breath. 12:38. Two minutes; cutting it close.

 

I could hear Scott and his students talking on the other side of the door. Knock-knock. Turn the handle, push. “Constance, right on time!” Scott greets me with his infectious smile. His students immediately zero in on me and I feel exposed. They explode into a frenzy of questions, most about paperwork, some wanting my opinion. Why did Scott think I could handle this?

 

I spent the better part of an hour fielding questions. If they were this curious, I can only imagine what the rest of the city residents would be like.

 

Scott caught up to me by the elevator, “Thanks again for coming by and talking with them, Connie.”

 

I grimaced at the nickname.“No problem, but any word on the rumours about demilitarizing the Monster camp?”

 

“Nothing official, but I heard from Alisa in the Physics department that everyone in Medical Research, she’s got a cousin works there, has been burning the midnight oil trying to make sure the Monsters don’t have any dangerous or contagious diseases.”

 

“Hm, so I guess they haven’t found anything?”

 

“Not that I’ve heard, at least.” The elevator _ping_ ed.

 

“Okay, well keep me posted, and I’ll get on the paperwork for a meeting asap.”

 

Sgt. Williams called just as I was walking out the door. _Somebody loves you. Somebody loves you. Somebody lo _-__ “Hello? …Yeah, I can bring you the video footage after work today… around seven.…Hey, listen, Maria, can you find out what kind of paperwork I would need to hold a town meeting?….Well, some of the university students want to talk about accommodating our new neighbours….what about inviting some of the Monsters to it? Like, a spokesperson or something?….Can we do that?…I know….How’s Kenneth?….Really? When’s the transfer?….I hope it does him some good. Thanks for your help, Maria, see you tonight…..Bye bye.”

 

1:32. I was late. A cold stone began to settle in my stomach; I could feel the chill creeping in my veins. I absently scratched at my arms as I waited for the elevator to arrive and take me back down to ground level, back to my van, back to Anna who would probably be very upset. I’m never late. I hate being late. Why did I agree to come on a work day? I should have waited. The students could have waited until Thursday, right? My one day off? I don’t like being late. I may have gone over the speed limit on my way back.

 

“We got a home pick up while you were out. Have Darrell go with you.” My sister, Anna, said as I walked through the front doors. No point taking off my coat, then.

 

“Will do, Anna, sorry I’m late.”

 

“Didn’t even notice.”

 

“Did you eat while I was out?”

 

“Yeah, but I’m going to take a walk when you get back again.”

 

“Alright, we’ll try to be quick.”

 

“Right, right, see you later.”

 

Darrell appeared from around the office corner, coat in hand. “You didn’t touch the radio, did you?”

 

I rolled my eyes, “Come on, we’ve got pick up duty.”

 

“Yep, Mr. Kyle, down on Winston Avenue.”

 

“You knew him?” I asked as we jumped into the van.

 

He nodded, “From the parish. Cranky sort, but God-fearing. His granddaughter called us.” The rest of the ride, short as it was, was relatively quiet except for Darrell’s beloved soft-rock music on the radio.

 

** **Part Two: Bureaucracy** **

Sgt. Maria Williams was not happy with what she saw on my phone that evening. She made a copy of it from my phone’s SD card and marked that as evidence with the police report. “You want to see your brother before he’s shuttled out of here tomorrow?”

 

“After visiting hours? Maria, you shouldn’t be breaking the rules; you’re a cop.” I teased.

 

“Just don’t tell the higher ups,” she laughed, “and I’ll grab those files you asked for while you’re in there.”

 

“Thank you, Maria, don’t know what I’d do without you.” Sergeant Williams was a wonderful woman; tall, plump, muscular, smooth, dark skin...she’s so fucking pretty it’s not fair.

 

“Don’t thank me yet, I’ve already got most of it and it’s a huge stack. You sure you want to get involved? Not like you to stick your neck out.”

 

“I know, if it were, I’d have your job.”

 

Maria guffawed. She’s always been like that. Even on duty, she tries to de-escalate through humour. “Come on, I’ll walk you to his cell.”

 

“Not going to search me first? Not even a courtesy pat-down?” I batted my lashes.

 

“You’d like that too much. Besides, you don’t carry anything on you. I know. You’re not like those two.” She meant Kenneth and Sarah, my two oldest siblings. The trouble-makers, the addicts, the abusers. They got it from our father and I felt bad that I couldn’t help them. “What’s the word on Sarah anyway?”

 

“Last I heard she was back in rehab.”

 

“Hope she gets clean this time.”

 

“You and me both.”

 

“Well, this is his.” Maria smacked her baton against the cell bars and called through, “Hey, firecracker, your sister’s here to see you.” I saw Kenneth sit up on the cot slowly, as if we’d woken him up. I can’t blame him, really, there’s not much else to do in a holding cell but sleep. Maria unlocked the door and ushered me in. “I’ll be back in ten. Yell if you need anything.”

 

“Will do.”

 

After she shut and locked the door, and was a good distance down the hall, Kenneth finally greeted me. “Hey, brat.”

 

“Hey yourself. How you holding up?”

 

“How do you think? The bitch tell you anything?”

 

“You’re being transferred to the state pen in the morning.”

 

“That all she say? Stupid bitch never believes me.”

 

“What did you expect? This is what, the fourteenth time you’ve been arrested? And tenth conviction?”

 

“I didn’t even do nothing this time!”

 

“You assaulted an old lady and tried to burn your neighbours house down.”

 

“They deserved it!”

 

I stared incredulously at his words, “Really? A little old lady deserved to be pushed to the ground? You’re lucky she didn’t sue for medical expenses in addition to assault and battery charges. And your neighbour had two kids; if they’d been in that house, you’d be here on for attempted murder.”

 

“Figures you’d take their side.” He turned away from me, shoulders bunched up around his ears, arms crossed. I sighed.

 

“Look, I didn’t come to argue with you. I just wanted to say goodbye because it’s going to be a while before we see each other again.”

 

“What do you mean? Not going to visit your big bro in the big house?”

 

“Kenneth, it’s a four hour drive. I have to work. I’m on call.”

 

“You keep putting your job over your family, no wonder you’re all alone.”

 

“At least I bother to try. When was the last time you talked to Anna? Do you have any idea where Sarah is right now? Have you talked to Mum __at all_  since you’ve been here?”_ My voice cracked and I had to take a moment to breathe. “I care about what happens to you. I really hope you’ll get your act together while you’re away.”

 

“’While I’m away,’ you make it sound like I’m going on vacation or something.” He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed like a big child.

 

“Whatever. Just…what do you want me to tell your kids this time?”

 

“Doesn’t matter. Gonna be in lock up for ten years; they’ll be grown when I get out. And their whore mother isn’t going to bring them to visit me anyway.”

 

“Kenneth…please.”

 

“Please what? You know it’s true.”

 

“Don’t give up hope. Okay? Promise me that.”

 

“I’m back, Constance, you ready?” Maria called from a few feet down the hall. I don’t know how much she overheard, but I hope it wasn’t a lot. Family drama is family drama - don’t get outsiders involved. That’s the golden rule.

 

“Yeah,” I replied, “yeah, we’re done here.” I looked back at my brother’s slumped figure on the cot, “Come here, you big lug, give your sister a hug.”

 

“You and your fucking rhymes.” He smiled bitterly but got up and hugged me anyway.

 

“I’ll try to come see you on holidays at least.”

 

“You do that, brat. See ya ‘round.”

 

“Yeah,” we let go and I walked back out the door, down the hall, back into Maria’s office. She hadn’t been kidding when she said there was a stack of paperwork for me. It was nearly a hand-width high.

 

“Take a load off, girlie, I’ll walk you through it as best I can.” I sat. “Most of this is pretty straight forward, check yes or no kind of stuff, contact information, safety precautions, expected turnout, reason for holding the assembly - that one will take about a page. It all has to be done in triplicate. Your biggest problem is going to be getting a Monster into town. Shit’s still being talked about at the federal and state levels, so you might have to escalate things to make that work. I don’t know what kind of paperwork you’ll need if it comes to that, either, but I’ve got what you need here in town.”

 

“Jesus, no wonder this town has so few meetings…Thanks for doing this, Maria.”

 

“Just don’t give yourself a heart attack. It gets to be too much, take a break, let someone else help.”

 

“I will.”

 

“Head on home, and be careful, I know it’s Monday, but it’s late, and you never know how many drunks are one the road.”

 

“Right, see you, thanks again.” Gathering the paperwork in my arms was an arduous task - the stack was unwieldy and felt heavier than it actually was after a long day at work, but I managed to get it all the way from the sergeant’s office to the company van (which I had taken for the night, because, of course I was on call tonight) and shoved them into the passenger seat. In the morning, I would call Scott. He and his students were responsible for my involvement, and they would damn well help me file this mess.

 

In the following three weeks, I spent my lunch breaks at the university filing paperwork. The students, who had been so excited to get started, started disappearing. Interest waned as they realized how much work was involved. From the eighty or so students who had greeted me that first day to the baker’s dozen now helping…it was a depressing retention rate. There were days at work so slow I could power through a page between showings, calls, and other tasks, and then there were nights I couldn’t do anything but sleep hoping no one would call. It was slow going, but eventually the papers were completed. Sgt. Williams agreed to look over it for me one Friday afternoon before I turned it in, just to double check the information. Make sure there were no hiccoughs.

 

The news coverage of government meetings with the Monster ambassador and monarchs fluctuated daily. So far, things were pretty quiet aside from the odd protest here and there. Nothing had turned violent yet, and that surprised me. Humans were kinda shit about that; it’s why I liked my job.

 

After filing the papers, it was a waiting game. The students were not happy to hear that.

 

 _Somebody loves you. Somebody loves you. Somebody lo_ -. “Hello?”

 

“Constance?”

 

“Maria? What’s up?”

 

“Nothing, just got news for you. The town council was discussing your meeting proposal this morning.”

 

“And? What did they say?”

 

“They’ve approved, but Humans only, until they get state approval and a stronger security detail for any Monsters attending.”

 

“That’s a start. How long will it take for the state to discuss the matter?”

 

“You need to come in.”

 

“Whhyyy?”

 

“They’ve got their own pile of papers for you.”

 

“Fuck me.”

 

“I tried. You turned me down.”

 

“Maria! Aren’t you at the station right now?”

 

“Just yanking your chain. But really, get down here asap.”

 

“Okay.” 5:54. Eight minutes early, but I might as well get up anyway. After a quick shower and getting dressed, I walked down to Cassie’s Bakery, my favourite place for breakfast. Cassie was a good friend and even better cook.

 

“Morning, Cassie!”

 

“Hey, Constance. Haven’t seen you in a while, been busy?”

 

“You could say that.”

 

“Usual?”

 

“Yeah, but can I get a dozen pastries, too? Just a mix of whatever you think’s best.”

 

“Coming right up.” She spent the next few minutes selecting a variety of doughnuts, pretzels, danishes, and other treats, placing them lovingly into a large take-out box. “Going up to the station today, I guess?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

Cassie’s cheeks flushed deep pink, “No reason, say _hola_ to Maria for me.”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

She placed the box on my table, and came back around three minutes later with a steaming cup of puer tea. “You want some coffee or tea for the guys, too?”

 

“No thanks, Cassie, just the pastries.”

 

“Okay. It’s 20.04.”

 

“That sounds awfully cheap. You sure you did your maths right?”

 

“Just because it wasn’t my best subject, doesn’t mean I’m terrible at it. I do run this business after all. Besides, you get _mi descuento familiar_.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“Sure, sure, you can repay me by sending customers this way.”

 

“I will. See you later, bye!” It was 6:17. I had to make it to the station and be gone in the next thirty-two minutes if I wanted to be at work on time. Thank goodness I wasn’t taking the bus this morning. I still had to deal with morning traffic, but there were no accidents along the way. It also helped that the station was on the way to work. Time would be tight, but doable. Anna had today off and Jesse had called out yesterday, so it would just be me, Darrell, and Jack at the office; I had to make sure to be there on time today.

 

“Heya, Constance! Here to see that brother of yours?” The friendly voice of David Addams, a junior security guard at the station, greeted me as I walked through the metal detectors.

 

“No, I have to pick up some papers from Sgt. Williams.”

 

“I heard; trying to do anything with our town council is hell. You gotta be crazy to do it….You’re good to go, see you later girl.”

 

“Later, D.”

 

I made my way quickly through the cubicles to Maria’s office. When I got there, she was just getting off the phone. She met my eye and put a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. “Yes, Mrs. Borowski, I understand. We’ll send someone over right away. Please try to stay calm….Yes, that’s a very good idea….Okay, good bye, ma’am.” She hung up the phone and sighed heavily. “For the eighth time. I hate domestic violence calls, Constance.”

 

“Yeah, they’re the worst. Want a pastry?”

 

“Those from Cassie’s place?”

 

“Yep, she says hi, by the way.”

 

Maria gave a non-committal nod, picked up the phone again and dialled what I recognized as an inter-office number; she waited only a second for an answer. “I need someone to head down to Maple Avenue, there’s a domestic disturbance at 432. Mrs. Borowski called it in from next door, again.” Maria hung up the phone again and picked up one of the treats from the box, “Cassie’s as sweet as her tres leches torta.”

 

“Have you told her that?”

 

“I don’t think she’s interested. Besides, someone that innocent doesn’t need to be around someone in my profession. It’s a dark world out here.”

 

“She likes you, though, and she’s strong. I think she could handle it.” Maria blushed, deep red spreading across her burnt-brown cheeks, down her neck and up to the roots of her blonde ‘fro. She started rummaging through the things scattered on her desk.

 

“Anyway, I got the papers the state sent over.” She opened the metal file cabinet by her desk, “This is them, it’s not as big as the last one, but I think they’re more forms. They only want double copies, not triples, so you got that going for you.”

 

“I hate bureaucracy.” I monotoned. Maria laughed.

 

“Don’t we all?”

 

“Well, enjoy the pastries; share.” I pointed at her, like a mother would when scolding their child, “I know how you are. Just like me. You’ve got a whole team out there who love Cassie’s goods -”

 

“Mmm, her goods are nice.” She winked, and laughed when I turned red.

 

“Maria! That’s so bad! If you like her so much, ask her out already! I’ve got to get to work. Bye.”

 

“Bye, and thanks for the pastries!”

 

I waved goodbye to her and the rest of the morning crew as I made my way outside again. The new stack of papers were put in the passenger seat. I wouldn’t have time to look at them today. And I had to take the bus tonight, but at least I wouldn’t be on call.

 

** **Part Three: Publicity** **

It took two weeks to sort through the papers, and that was with the help of the remaining university students, but we finally got through it all. Then, we had to wait again. A month passed before the governor got back to us. Our meeting was approved. They had arranged for state troopers to come to the town hall as security. For all the time it took us to get here, now was crunch time. We were rushed in every direction. I slept less and less as the meeting day approached. Local and national news reporters would be there. A group of twenty Monsters were coming to speak and answer questions. The city council moved us from our requested room (Hall B, which seated only 200) to the main hall (1,400 seats) because so many people were coming. Time was running down. To say I was under-prepared would be an under-statement.

 

I was terrified something would go wrong. The cold, itching feeling in my veins was back and I spent many nights unable to sleep at all. Things were going well at work, Maria would be part of the security detail at the meeting. Cassie was closing the shop because she’d be supplying the free breakfast for the meeting. It was a great publicity idea. I just wanted everything to go well. After all the paperwork I’d filled out, it would be dreadful for nothing to come of it, or worse, for something to go horribly, terribly wrong.

 

“Anna, don’t forget, I’ve got tomorrow off.”

 

“I know, for the town meeting.”

 

“Sorry you can’t come, but…”

 

“Hey, it’s the nature of the business. We can’t close. Just take notes for me. I want to know what happens without the media lens.”

 

“I will, goodnight.”

 

“Night, get some sleep.”

 

“You too, at least take a nap between calls tonight. Love you.”

 

“You too.”

 

This was it. Tomorrow morning was the meeting. The first public appearance of Monsters since they breached the surface, and they would be in our town hall, all because some college psych students were curious. I hardly slept, despite my promise to Anna, not that I didn’t try, but at some point I ended up picking out my outfit for the meeting and showering before sunrise. I needed tea, badly, but put on my makeup instead of the kettle. Today needs to go well. I don’t know what I’m expecting, but whatever it is, please let it go well.

 

I took the early bus to the town hall and was surprised by how busy it was already. Despite the early hour, the parking lot (and overflow on the lawn) was completely full. People were packing into the building, crowding the stairs and doors trying to get in, but at least things were moving. Sgt. Williams was at the front entrance, “Nice suit. Going to a funeral?”

 

I stood off to the side with her, so as to not block the traffic, “Ha ha. Have they arrived yet?”

 

“Who?”

 

“You know who.”

 

“Voldemort?”

 

“Geek.” I smiled at her, “No, the Monsters and state police, and the reporters.”

 

“Don’t worry about the cameras, girlie, you look great. They’re here, but the Monsters are being escorted by the state troopers and they’re not expected to arrive for another ten or fifteen minutes.”

 

“Great. Has Cassie set up yet? I’m dying for a cuppa.”

 

“She’s inside. And cute as a button.”

 

“Ask her out yet?”

 

“I’m on duty, Constance. It would be unprofessional to flirt now.” She squared her shoulders, stone-faced, and set her eyes out over the crowds again.

 

“You sure? I hear she has a uniform fetish.” I smirked. Maria groaned in misery and frustration. “I’m going inside, see you later.” The next few minutes were rather boring: people filed in to find good seats, grab pastries, coffee, tea, camera equipment was set up and the drone of reporters giving their intros to the proceedings could be heard even over the rumblings of many quieter conversations. It was half an hour until the meeting was set to begin that the first wave of excitement hit. The Monsters had arrived, and people were desperate to get a glimpse. They turned in their seats, peering into the corridor, straining their necks. I took deep breaths and reminded myself to stay calm. I watched the analogue clock on the wall, counting the seconds as they ticked by.

 

When the mayor called the meeting to order, the hall was packed fuller than a clown car. “If everyone could please find their seats, we’re going to get started in just a few moments.” Overflow was in the hallways; people stood on tip-toe and crammed into the doorway. Mayor Dempsee was an older woman, tall and broad shouldered. She towered over our governor, a round-bellied, balding man. No one in the hall rivalled her height or his width, until the Monsters came in. Their monarchs were exceptional, breath-taking even. Despite their size, they both moved with a grace I’d only seen back in ballet class as a child. With them came an entourage of other Monsters and a Human child, their ambassador. Camera flashes went off instantly.

 

The mayor, governor, Sgt. Williams, and I (because I had filed the paperwork) sat at one side of the stage. The Monsters sat at the other side. Scott and his students were in the front rows of the audience, along with several reporters. Mayor Dempsee was the first to stand. At exactly 8:15, she greeted everyone from centre stage. Governor Hamil was next, followed by Maria and finally, it was my turn. It had been years since I’d been required to make a public speech. The words spilled from my mouth in a calm and even fashion, but I’m not sure where that calmness came from. Inside, I was pushing down a rising panic. I don’t remember half of what I said, though I had the speech memorized.

 

The Monsters had their own opening statements, and when all that was finished, the monarchs and their ambassador shook hands (err..paws) with our leaders. Conversation on stage was mostly unscripted; Governor Hamil revealed some of what had been discussed in private meetings until now, but the vast majority of the meeting was taken up by questions from the audience and reporters.

 

People were curious about Monster culture. They asked about music and entertainment, food and drinks. They asked about money, too, “If Monsters are allowed to integrate into our society, will their currency be used as legal tender, or must it be converted first, at what do you expect the conversion rate to be?”

 

“Will Monsters be allowed employment in Human establishments, and if so, how do you think this will effect the economy?”

 

“How soon can we expect Monsters to begin living among Humans?”

 

“Your Majesty, how has having a Human child living in the Underground with you affected your view of Humans given the history between our species?”

 

My favourite question came from a political science student, “Governor, in the past you’ve permitted private business to discriminate against homosexuals, denying them services based on their sexual orientation. What guarantees, if any, have you given Monsters that you won’t allow such discrimination to happen to them based on their race?”

 

By the end of the meeting, several hours later, it had been discovered that there were plans in place to have a trial - volunteer based - of Monsters and Humans living together, either as flatmates in homes, or neighbours in apartments. Expert economists has already evaluated the buying power of the Monster’s G and were working on a conversion rate. Citizenship was a federal matter, still in the works, but the city and state were planning to operate as if with a blind eye. So long as Monsters were willing to abide by local Human business and employment laws, they would be treated (at least in the matter of employment and housing) as citizens, minus social security and healthcare benefits. It was a reasonable compromise for a budding, cautious relationship.

 

It would be several more months before any of these policies would be approved, but volunteer forms for the housing situation would be available online by weeks end. Maybe I was just caught up in the moment, a little excited and overwhelmed with all the things I’d learned, but I decided to fill one out. They seemed so nice, and I wanted this to work. I was invested in it now. Fuck me.

 

With the official meeting concluded, an informal meet and greet began. Humans and Monsters were allowed to mill around and talk with one another. Naturally, the Monsters were swarmed with reporters trying to eck out any more information, but when the Monsters weren’t forthcoming with it, they quickly left to ensure their reports would hit the press first. This left the public to flock around them. I zeroed in on Cassie, anxious to here my friend’s opinion of the Monsters and the meeting. At her banquet table, now half devoured, people started asking the Monsters what they thought about Human food. “This is quite delicious. What is it called?” The queen asked.

 

“It’s a cream puff swan; I’m so glad you like them.” Cassie perked up; she had her hands tied passing out pastries and restocking along the way from the boxes she’d brought from the bakery.

 

“Did you make them?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

“You’re a wonderful cook, then, may I have your name?”

 

“Cassandra Padilla, but friends call me Cassie. I’m the owner of Cassie’s Bakery on East Regis Street.”

 

“I will have to come by then, as soon as all this legal work is sorted through.”

 

“Please do, I’d be happy to see you again.” Cassie was a natural with people. It was kind of amazing to watch, “Would you like to take some of the pastries with you to share with your people?”

 

“Oh, I couldn’t impose like that!”

 

“It’s no trouble, actually, I have so many boxes, I’m not sure how I got them all here, or how I’m going to get them back! Please take some.”

 

“Well, if you’re sure, I suppose I could take a few off your hands.” The other monsters, including the king, Asgore, a fish-woman who had introduced herself as Undyne, Head of the Royal Guard, and some regular Monster citizens were busy chatting with the locals. They all seemed to be getting along fine. I was relieved. As Cassie busied herself filling an empty box with assorted pastries, the queen’s attention shifted to me. “You’re the young lady responsible for this meeting, aren’t you?”

 

“Not really, I just filed the paperwork.” I flushed.

 

“Don’t sell yourself short, my dear, without you, who knows when we would have had a chance to make such a good first impression. I would like to thank you, sincerely, for what you’ve done.”

 

“It was no trouble…if you want to thank anyone, it should be the students; they were the ones who wanted to meet you all.”

 

“Yes, I did notice their enthusiasm during the meeting, and after it too. You know, I always wanted to be a teacher.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes, I just love children.”

 

“I’m sure you’d be a great teacher.”

 

“That’s sweet of you to say.”

 

“Almost as sweet as Cassie’s puff pastry?” I asked, and Queen Toriel laughed gently. I was glad to have made a good impression as well. It seems I wasn’t the only nervous one here. At 4:30, the Monsters were escorted from the building by the state police and led back to their encampment. It was kind of sad watching them go. They were friendly and patient with the questioning. Making friends with Monsters, housing them, employing them….I really hoped other Humans saw what I saw today. These people were lovely.  

 

I helped Cassie finish packing the boxes and what was left of her pastries, not that there were many left, and she gave me ride home, saving me a lot of time. I showered and changed out of the stuffy suit into more comfortable flannel pyjamas, then turned on the news. Unsurprisingly, every station was reporting on the meeting. I watched a few minutes of each report, trying to get a feel for how the story was being spun for public interest. Some reporters were hopeful, others sceptical, accusing the Monsters of pretending to be harmless until they could attack us. That disgusted me. Few of the reports were truly neutral, sticking to only the facts, and they didn’t have many viewers anyway. Sensationalism sells. I turned the TV off and went to bed. It was still early, but I had to get to work earlier than usual tomorrow. Anna would kill someone if she had to work more than twelve consecutive hours, probably me.

 

The next morning at work, I found Jesse manning the phone, and Anna was napping in the back room. I shook her shoulder, “Anna…Anna, wake up. It’s morning.”

 

“You’re early.”

 

“Yeah, you want Darrell or somebody to drive you home?”

 

“I wanna sleeeeep.”

 

“How about to my place, then? The guest room is clean.”

 

“M’kay.” She rolled over on her back and sat up, yawning. “Can I borrow your PJ’s?”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

“See you tomorrow, Constance.”

 

In the following months, news from our government was slowly released to the public. I did fill out the housing form when it became available and was surprised by how simple it was: how many rooms do you have to spare? Are you willing to take in more than one monster? If yes, how many? What is your occupation? What is your annual income? Smoking or non-smoking household? They even asked about dietary restrictions and allergens! They planned to match willing participants and Monsters by spring, but that was still months away. Currency was in the process of being exchanged already, and decisions about employment were being finalized. I heard it in the news, when reporters asked people on the street, “Would you be comfortable working with a Monster?”

 

“Never, those things don’t belong up here,” or, “As long as they don’t try anything…I can give them a chance, I guess,” but rarely did I hear, “Sure, it’s not an issue if they’re Monster or Human, as long as they work hard and are nice.” Then came the signs. Apartments that rented to Humans Only. Restaurants and shops with “Help Wanted - No Monsters Need Apply” in the windows.  

 

** **Part Four: Shopping** **

When spring finally arrived, I received an email about the flatmate situation. There wasn’t a lot of information, just names and contact information, an email address and hotline to call if we had problems during their stay. The message said they, Sans and Papyrus, were brothers, which was fine. I spent a few nights clearing out my home-office, moving most of the things into my bedroom even though it made the space a little cramped, but it meant I had two spare bedrooms now and could accommodate the brothers. My décor is admittedly dark, but I’ve moved much of the more macabre art to my room as well, trying to keep things neutral in the shared living areas.

 

Unfortunately, the email also came with a move-in date which happened to be while I was working. So here it was, late March, pre-dawn, nearly two years after Monsters had come to the surface, and I was penning a letter to stick on the apartment door:

 

 _Welcome to your new home! Mat is protecting your key for you. The two bedrooms down the hall on the left_  
_and the bathroom between them are all yours. One room was the guest room, so it’s already furnished, but the_  
_other is empty. If you need anything or have questions, I’ll be at work until 20:00. You can call me at_  
_020-7946-1063 any time. I look forward to meeting you both tonight!_

_~Constance_

 

I folded the paper into thirds and wrote their names on the outside, then taped it to the door on my way out. 6:52, have to get to the bus stop. Please let them like the place, and let them like me when we meet. I hope my not being here doesn’t give them a bad first impression.

 

* * *

 

Sans and Papyrus had packed as much of their things as they could into boxes and piled them into Papyrus’ red sports car. The drive from Mt. Ebott to their new neighbourhood had been mostly uneventful. Papyrus was optimistic along the way, keeping his sights focussed on the road and how wonderful the fresh air and sunshine was. Sans, though grinning and encouraging his brother, focussed on the not so pleasant things around town, like the No Monsters Allowed signs in shop windows. Just because they’d gotten to the surface, didn’t mean the Humans would welcome them with open arms. If this didn’t work out, what was he supposed to say to Papyrus? Frisk had promised no more resets.

 

“LOOK, SANS! I THINK THAT IS OUR NEW HOME!” Papyrus proclaimed, pointing up the street at a dark brick building with white doors and shutters.

 

“yeah, looks like it.”

 

Papyrus found parking space easily at the side of the building. Neither he, nor his brother, grabbed boxes yet. They wanted to see the place first and meet their Human flatmate. “SANS, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT ROOM WE ARE IN?”

 

“letter said 203, upstairs.”

 

Papyrus practically bolted for the stairs down the hall, and Sans followed after him, slower, but keeping his brother in his line of sight just in case some Human neighbours decided to be not so friendly. Upstairs, Papyrus was disappointed to discover the letter on the door, but then declared, “THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN MAKE MY FAMOUS FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI AND THE THREE OF US WILL BECOME THE GREATEST OF FRIENDS!”

 

“can’t wait for the pastabilities, pap.”

 

“NNYAH, SANS! DO NOT MAKE PUNS TONIGHT! THEY ARE HIGHLY ANNOYING!”

 

Papyrus fixed his brother with a stern look, and Sans glanced down at the door mat. It was a typical brown-beige mat, but the words printed on it lightened his mood a little, “Hi. I’m Mat.” Maybe staying with this Human wouldn’t be too bad if they had a funny bone. He lifted the corner of Mat and found the key the Human had mentioned. “we’ll have to go shopping if you want to make spaghetti tonight.”

 

“THERE WILL BE TIME FOR THAT, FIRST, WE MUST SEE OUR ROOMS AND BRING IN THE BOXES. I AM MOST EXCITED TO SEE HOW HUMANS LIVE!” He was happy to note that the hinges did not creak, and inside the flat everything was clean - perhaps not entirely spotless, but clean. The walls were white, and the curtains dark; they matched the dark counters and furniture in the kitchen and living room. Sans eyed the plush velvet couch. “DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT NAPPING NOW SANS! WE HAVE WORK TO DO!”

 

“ah, give a guy a bone, paps, been a long day.”

 

“LET US PICK OUR ROOMS AND BRING THE BOXES IN BEFORE YOU FALL ASLEEP THEN.”

 

The brothers peeked into both of the available bedrooms, peering out of windows to see the view, and decided that Papyrus would have have the empty room. He could move his racecar bed from the old house underground into it, and it got plenty of light in the morning from the east-facing windows. Sans readily took the furnished guest room, it didn’t get the early dawn light so he could sleep in and being furnished, he wouldn’t have to move much inside to live there. The brothers carried box after box from the car to their new home and began the unpacking process. Papyrus was nearly finished unpacking by the time lunch rolled around, while Sans had barely gotten through one box. They took a break to eat, having brought food from the Monster encampment for the trip. It wasn’t the healthiest option, but it beat raiding their flatmate’s fridge and risking hostility on their first night.

 

Their break was short lived, as Papyrus was adamant they go shopping right away for dinner preparation. Sans had been dreading it all morning, since he first saw those signs really, but he agreed to go with Papyrus anyway. It made his brother happy, and he wouldn’t risk something happening to the coolest guy he knew. Thus, they pulled out of their parking space in the red sports car and started driving around town, stopping by a few shops as they came across them. They didn’t stop in anywhere with anti-Monster signs in the windows, but just because the signs weren’t up, didn’t mean the owners welcomed them. Two hours later, they were circling back to the apartment, empty handed.

 

Papyrus spotted a shop near to their home they hadn’t noticed before. It was a cheery-looking place with pastel awning and gold script printed on the windows.

 

“LOOK, SANS! THIS SHOP SIGN SAYS EVERYONE IS WELCOME!”

 

“sure does, bro,” Sans nodded in agreement, but was not convinced. From the glass windowpane front he could see the shop had a few small white tables, elegantly decorated with two or three chairs situated around each one. Shelves lined the exposed brick walls, and a long display counter was against the far right wall. Papyrus pushed the door open and Sans followed him inside to the sound of a tinkling bell.

 

“Be right with you!” A cheery voice called from the back. Papyrus and Sans began circling the shop, eyeing loose tea, wine bottles, and an impressive display of pastries. Before the skele-bros had time to fully look around the shop, however, a short, plump young woman came bustling into the front carrying a tray of fresh-baked lavender cookies. “Hi! Sorry about that, welcome to Cassie’s, what can I get for you?” She was all smiles, wiping her hands on her apron.

 

“DID YOU MAKE ALL OF THESE YOURSELF, HUMAN?” Papyrus made a sweeping gesture with his red-gloved hand at the glass display counter.

 

“Well, yes, I did; would you like to sample anything?” The woman asked. Sans did not trust this Human. In all the time they’d been on the surface, no Human had been this kind towards any Monster.

 

“THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL!”

 

“nah, bro, we’ve got a budget and time limit. get what we need first.”

 

“THAT IS SURPRISINGLY MATURE OF YOU, SANS! YOU ARE RIGHT!” The excited skeleton Monster turned back to the woman, “WE ARE ON A HIGHLY IMPORTANT MISSION, HUMAN!”

 

“Really? How can I help?”

 

“DO YOU HAVE …” he paused dramatically, and Sans thought he must have been watching that dirty robot Mettaton again, “SPAGHETTI? I AM IN GREAT NEED OF IT!”

 

The baker’s face fell, “Oh, I’m sorry, I only have sweets, tea, and wine here.” The tall skeleton looked crushed, “Have you tried the local grocer? They usually have a good supply. It’s only about three blocks from here.”

 

“they didn’t want us in there.”

 

“Hmm, well, there’s another store a bit further away, just down the road in fact, but they’re usually closed on Mondays.”

 

“THAT SIMPLY WILL NOT DUE! MY SPECIAL SPAGHETTI MUST BE READY FOR TONIGHT!”

 

“What about the convenience store over on 5th Avenue…”

 

“kicked us out. said they don’t serve our kind.” Sans watched as the Human visibly bristled and pursed her lips.

 

“Well, if you’ve got a little time and don’t mind a trip, I know a place that would be happy to have your business. It’s just a bit far, maybe 15 minutes driving. Do you have a car?”

 

“YES, HUMAN! MY AMAZING SPORTSCAR IS OUTSIDE! WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT?”

 

“Maybe some other time, let me make a call real quick, and I’ll get you the directions, okay?”

 

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HUMAN!”

 

“You can just call me Cassie.”

 

“OKAY! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND THIS IS MY LAZYBONES BROTHER, SANS!”

 

“Nice to meet you both,” she smiled, “just take a seat anywhere and I’ll be right back. Make yourselves comfortable.” She walked away, behind the counter by the register and picked up an old land-line phone. Sans watched and listened from his seat by the wine rack while Papyrus continued to walk around, reading labels with great interest. “Hi, Luke, is Eduardo working today?…Hey, Lalo, I’ve got a couple of people here who are _new to the area_. You know how the locals are, not too _amigables_ , yeah?…Listen, have you got spaghetti in stock right now? … _Fabuloso_ , I’m going to send them your way, then….Love you too, thanks sweetheart.” Cassie hung up the phone and walked over to the brothers, grabbing a notepad and pen from beside the register as she went. “Alright,” she sat down across from Sans, “these are directions to The Fresh Green, it’s a bit far, like I said, but if you have any trouble, just ask for Eduardo - I’m going to put the store’s number on here too - he’ll take care of you guys.” She wrote quickly, but the handwriting was tidy.

 

“THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, HUMAN CASSIE!”

 

She giggled, “Come back any time, you two.”

 

“thanks.” Sans was unsure of this Human. Surely she couldn’t be that kind. No Human was, right? It had been a long time since he’d seen a green soul.

 

So Sans and Papyrus found themselves back in the car, driving further into town. People stared from the sidewalks, their cars, their office windows, and through it all, Papyrus greeted them when he noticed, grinning through the whole drive. Sans kept his smile, too, but it was terse. These Humans. He didn’t like them.

 

Papyrus followed the directions, and was pleased at the level of detail Human Cassie had provided. He could feel they would be great friends, especially if she enjoyed cooking as much as he did. It was mid-afternoon and a weekday, and that luckily meant a mostly empty parking lot at The Fresh Green. It didn’t stop employees from staring as the skeletons walked through the automatic doors, but they didn’t raise a fuss like other locals had. A young, rotund man approached them first, “Welcome to The Fresh Green, how can I help you?” Standard, generic greeting.

 

“HELLO, HUMAN! WE HAVE COME IN SEARCH OF SPAGHETTI AND WERE TOLD IT COULD BE FOUND HERE! WHERE MIGHT IT BE LOCATED?”

 

“Right this way, all our pasta noodles are down aisle nine. Did you want to browse the sauces while you’re here?”

 

“THAT WOULD BE MOST WONDERFUL!”

 

“Fantastic, they’re just on the next aisle over, take your time, call if you need anything else.”

 

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH HUMAN!” Papyrus busied himself with the pasta, pondering all the different shapes and colours, the names fascinated him. He loaded up a shopping cart with twenty boxes of hard pasta, and as many jars of sauce: tomato, pesto, alfredo, marinara, carbonara…and as he and Sans were leaving the aisles, the butcher gave a friendly wave. Papyrus immediately ran over, eager to make another new Human friend. Sans eyed the price tags. Meat was pretty cheap on the surface.... 

 

“You two must really love pasta, huh?” She asked.

 

“yeah, paps has a penne-chant for it.”

 

The butcher laughed, “And were you boys thinking of prepping any meats with your pasta?”

 

“YOU CAN DO THAT? I’VE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING!”

 

“Of course, I can recommend something for you if you’d like.”

 

“ARE YOU FOND OF SPAGHETTI, HUMAN?”

 

“Sure am, it’s one of the best pastas.”

 

“IN THAT CASE, I WOULD LIKE YOUR OPINION! WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE WITH IT TONIGHT? WE ARE TRYING TO IMPRESS A NEW FRIEND AND FLATMATE!”

 

“Well, in that case, you can’t go wrong with ground beef; it mixes well into tomato sauce and we have a fresh batch here. It’s 90/10, and comes from a local farm just outside town.”

 

“IT SOUNDS AMAZING! BUT … WHAT DOES 90/10 MEAN?”

 

“It’s how you know the fat content of the meat, this is 10% fat. Very lean, so when you cook it, you don’t have to drain a lot of fat out before mixing it into you sauce.”

 

“THERE IS SO MUCH I CAN LEARN HERE ON THE SURFACE! THANK YOU, HUMAN. HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK I SHOULD USE FOR DINNER TONIGHT?”

 

“Well, how many people are eating?”

 

“IT WILL BE JUST THREE TONIGHT.”

 

“400 grams should be enough for three people.”

 

“WE WILL TAKE THAT MUCH, THEN.”

 

“Sure, coming right up.” The woman pulled on a pair of clean gloves, and perched a sheath of parchment paper on top of the scale. She pulled the ground beef from the display and began measuring it out, closely watching the numbers on the scale until they reached 400. She then wrapped the corners of the parchment around the mound of meat, taped it down, removed the gloves. The skeletons watched in rapt attention every step. Papyrus was fascinated and impressed with her care for the food, while Sans watched for tampering. Humans couldn’t be trusted.

 

They paid for the food, said goodbye to the friendly staff, and got going back to the apartment. It was important to Papyrus that he had time to make the spaghetti and clean the kitchen afterwards.

 

** **Part Five: Welcome Home** **

When my shift ended, I was ready to get home and shower. It had been a very busy day, and I was desperate for a long, hot shower. On the bus, listening to a steady rotation of industrial bands, I couldn’t help but wonder if my new flatmates had moved and settled in okay. Did they like the apartment? Their rooms? The décor? They hadn’t called me at work, so hopefully everything was okay. Why did the bus have to take so long? Thank goodness my stop is only a twelve minute walk from my flat. Tomorrow I would have the van again (yay), and be on call (boo). Despite my tiredness, I still hoped to make a good impression on these Monsters when I got home. Please don’t let them be party people. Why did I agree to this?

 

Seeing my stop coming up, I took my earbuds out and put them away, and that’s when I heard it. Stupid teens, regulars on my bus route, and always annoying. They’d even been banned from the bus a few times over the last couple of years.

 

“Trust the freaky goth chick to do weird shit.”

 

“She really let one of those things in her house?”

 

“I heard it was two. Siblings or something.”

 

Where they talking about me? How did they know already?

 

“Those creatures have families?”

 

They’re talking about Monsters, certainly.

 

“They’re all so gross, how do they even -”

 

“How long till she she tries to bang one of ‘em?”

 

“Eww, don’t be nasty; I don’t wanna have that image in my head!” Eww was right; I didn’t need teenagers fantasizing about my sex life, thank you very much.

 

Ignore it. Get off the bus, go home. Breathe. Walk away and just keep walking, check the time (21:12), don’t let it get to you. Get home. … I wish I could stop at Cassie’s on the way, but with an hour long bus ride, it’ll be close to 21:30 when I get home, and she’ll be closed long before then. I took the stairs up slowly when I reached the apartment, keys already in hand. I could hear the TV on, muffled through the door. So they did make it. Good. Deep breath.

 

I turned the key and pushed the door open, “Hi!” I called through, looking around. The place was spotless, so they either didn’t bring much with them or had moved everything into their rooms. “Mmm, what’s that smell?” Suddenly, an exceptionally tall skeleton rounded the corner from my - our - kitchen. They’re skeletons. Well, that makes my taxidermy and specimen collection more awkward.

 

“HUMAN! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

 

“Oh, hello, Papyrus, nice to meet you,” I extended my hand for a shake and he grasped it tightly, shaking vigorously. He’s very enthusiastic.

 

“YES! YOU MUST BE VERY PLEASED! I HAVE MADE MY FAMOUS FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI TO CELEBRATE OUR FIRST NIGHT AS FLATMATES AND FRIENDS!” Oh my gods. He’s a precious cinnamon roll.

 

“You made dinner? How thoughtful, Papyrus, you didn’t have to do that.”

 

“NONSENSE! THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO BECOME BEST FRIENDS THAN TO SHARE A MEAL TOGETHER.”

 

“Okay, okay, well, if you’re in here, where’s your brother, Sans, was it?”

 

“MY BROTHER IS SETTING THE TABLE.” He dropped his voice into as much of a whisper as he could manage, stooping down to ear-level with me, “Please Do Not Be Annoyed By Sans’ Puns, Human, I Know They Can Be Very Aggravating. He Does Not Know When To Stop.”

 

“That’s okay, Papyrus. I like puns, too.”

 

He gasped and started muttering to himself. I didn’t catch what he was saying though as my attention had fallen to a much shorter skeleton Monster sitting on my couch. He was watching us, little pinpricks of light in his eye sockets trained right on me. “table’s set, pap, Human.” A chill went up my spine when he said that word, like it was something foul, but the feeling wasn’t allowed to linger as Papyrus ushered me through to the living/dining room. The table was set in an informal fashion, but it was set and that’s more than I usually did for dinner at home. Were they trying to impress me? How cute.

 

“I’m going to wash my hands and grab the drinks; what do you guys want?” I asked, “I’ve got water, cider, wine….”

 

“WATER, PLEASE AND THANK YOU, HUMAN! YOU ARE VERY THOUGHFUL TO ASK.”

 

“It’s nothing, Papyrus. Sans, anything for you?”

 

“ketchup.”

 

I blinked. “I’ll check if I have any.”

 

The little lights in his eye sockets shifted to me in an irritated fashion, but that grin was plastered in place. “’kay.”

 

The kitchen was spotless. They’d even washed the pots and pans already, making them by far the best flatmates I’ve had in a long while. I hope it continues. After washing my hands at the sink, I started rummaging through the fridge and grabbed a bottle of Fiji water, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, and … no ketchup. I hope he likes V8. I made my way back to the table and set the wine bottle upon it. I handed the water off to my new very tall flatmate and apologized to Sans for my lacking condiment selection, but he accepted the tomato juice without complaint. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?

 

I sat in my usual spot - the armchair - while the brothers took up residence on the couch, with Papyrus on the far end from me and Sans between us. Papyrus had served the spaghetti, filling each of our bowls neatly. It smelled good and looked better. It was … not disappointing, a little sweeter than I’d usually like, and there was the occasional after-taste of something burnt, but I wasn’t going to complain about a free meal, especially when they’d obviously put so much effort in it. We talked throughout the meal of inconsequential things, but also of their expectations and hopes of the future now that they were on the surface. In the underground, they had worked as sentries, and Papyrus, precious cinnamon roll, was friends with the head of the royal guard. I recalled seeing her at the press meeting - tall, lean muscles, flaming red hair, and beautiful blue/teal scales. She had seemed excitable and passionate; just like Papyrus did. They told me they’d worked guard duty at the encampment during the press conference while Undyne and the monarchs were away. Then things got awkward; they asked about my job.

 

“Err, well, it’s nothing as important or exciting as protecting royalty, but I am call most nights…actually that’s something we should talk about. Are either of you very light sleepers? I’d hate to wake you if I get a call and have to leave in the middle of the night.”

 

“nah, we can sleep through anything.”

 

“INDEED, SANS HAS BEEN KNOWN TO SLEEP THROUGH HIS SHIFT, WHILE SITTING AT HIS POST EVEN!”

 

“That’s a relief. Also, we should decide now how we want to split up bills and chores, yeah?” Papyrus nodded eagerly, smiling proudly.

 

“I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE OVER THE CLEANING DUTIES.”

 

Sans nodded, “paps is good at that.”

 

“That’s fine. I’ll be gone most of the time anyway, and often get home late, so as long as the shared living areas are tidy, I don’t much care who cleans it. Now, meals?”

 

“DID YOU LIKE THE SPAGHETTI?” There was a strange whine, barely noticeable, in Papyrus’ voice. I suppose he was nervous that I hadn’t like it. Maybe I should have said something earlier, or complimented his cooking more.

 

“It was great, best I’ve had in a long while.” I tried to reassure him.

 

“THEN I WILL MAKE DINNER EVERY NIGHT!”

 

I nearly spat out my wine. “That’s nice of you to offer, Papyrus, but,” Sans’ eyes were glowering at me, “I usually get home very late and it’d be a shame to keep you both from eating just to wait for me. But since you like to cook so much, how about this: we’ll all cook for ourselves, but share leftovers? They can be kept in the fridge for anyone to enjoy.”

 

“THAT IS A GREAT IDEA!”

 

“Almost as great as you.” Papyrus blushed; Sans glared.

 

“okay. cooking and cleaning are covered. what else?”

 

“Rules? No loud music, try to conserve water and electricity, don’t leave a mess in the common areas.” They nodded in agreement, “Anything you want to add?”

 

“ARE WE ALLOWED TO HAVE GUESTS OVER?”

 

“Of course. It’s your home, too.”

 

“WE MUST HAVE A HOUSEWARMING PARTY SOON THEN! I WILL INVITE ALL OF OUR FRIENDS, AND YOU MUST BRING YOURS!”

 

I shrugged, “Sure, why not? We can look at the calendar later and pick a date. Now, about the bills,” deep breath, “correct me if I’m wrong, but your G from the underground has already been converted, right?”

 

“yeah.”

 

“And the government is still distributing work permits, have either of you gotten yours yet?”

 

“NOT YET, BUT ASGORE AND TORIEL HAVE ASURED US THEY WILL BE HERE THIS MONTH.”

 

“Okay, for now I’ve already paid everything for this month, no need to worry about that; so when you get your permits, are you both going job-hunting, or is one of you planning to stay here and take care of the flat full-time?”

 

“NATURALLY WE WILL BOTH BE WORKING!”

 

“to the bone.” Ah, so he did make puns, it wasn’t very good, but I was starting to wonder.

 

“SANS! YOU WERE DOING SO WELL!”

 

“I’m glad you have such initiative. So next month, you both start looking for work, I’ll take care of rent, and we can split utilities between my wages and your savings?”

 

“sounds fair.”

 

“YOU ARE VERY CONSIDERATE!”

 

“equal split after we get working?”

 

“Right!” I liked these guys. They seemed easy to live with. “Well, if you’re done, I’m going to take care of these dishes tonight. We can talk more tomorrow if you think of anything else.”

 

“ARE YOU WORKING TOMORROW?”

 

“No, but it’s my only day off for the next like two weeks.” I gathered the bowls together, running them up my arm like Mum and I used to do back at the restaurant. I don’t miss it one bit. I don’t miss washing dishes either, and it’s a shame I never bought a dishwasher, but the double sink and open counter space made things easy anyway. It’s not so bad.

 

“DO YOU NEED ANY HELP, HUMAN?”

 

“No thanks, Papyrus, I’ve got this. And, you know you can call me Constance right?”

 

“OF COURSE!”

 

“Okay, as long as you know. Did you need something?”

 

“I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE I SHOULD PUT THE EMPTY BOTTLES.”

 

“There’s a recycling bin under the counter by the cupboard.” I bobbed my head in the right direction and kept scrubbing the dishes, elbow deep in sudsy water. Wash, rinse, sanitize.

 

“DID YOU WANT THE REST OF YOUR WINE BACK IN THE REFRIGERATOR?”

 

I considered it briefly. I had planned on washing the dishes and then finishing the bottle before showering and going to bed, but it might be a bit warm if left out, on the other hand, the dishes would only take a few minutes…. “Yes, please, thank you.”

 

“paps, bedtime, babybones.”

 

“NYEH! SANS! I HAVE TOLD YOU ALREADY! I AM NOT A BABYBONES ANYMORE!”

 

“so you don’t want a story tonight?” Papyrus practically ran out the room to get ready, wishing me a quick good night on the way.

 

“Sweet dreams.” I couldn’t help but smirk. They were so cute; Sans read bedtimes stories to his brother still? How incredibly adorable. I finished washing and rinsing the dishes, then drained the sinks, wiping down the sides to clear them of grime and bubbles. Then I filled one side up with cold water and dish sanitizer. The last step never takes long - just have to let the dishes sit for a minute then I can dry them off and put them away.

 

It was late, certainly later than I would normally stay up but without having to work tomorrow, and thankfully not being on call tonight, I could afford to finish off the wine and maybe a chapter or two in my book. Sitting in my velvet armchair in the living room, curled in on myself with the paperback resting on my knees, I almost fell asleep. I thought having flatmates would mean more noise, but it seemed that wasn’t the case with these two, not yet anyway. Maybe they were asleep already. The wine was gone.

 

“H u m a n.” I looked up from the off-white pages. Sans was standing in the space between the hallway and our living room, he hadn’t changed out of the blue hoodie, shorts, or slippers. Guess putting Papyrus to bed takes a longer time than I thought.

 

“Hey, Sans.”

 

“Don’t. Flirt. With. My. Brother.”

 

“Huh?” I was more than a little perplexed. When had I flirted with anyone? I looked up to meet his eye and ask what he was talking about, but when I saw the empty eye sockets and wide-set grin, well, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. Sans didn’t say anything more, instead, one eye lit up like bright blue fire. My breath caught. I swallowed thickly. Suddenly, the fire was gone and the two eye lights were back as if nothing had happened.

 

“’night.” He turned away.

 

Holy shit. Did that really happen? “No more wine tonight.” I told myself.

 

The days passed without further incident and I chalked that night up to the wine. Sans was too chill to threaten anyone, I mean, yeah, he was protective of his brother, but no more than I’d seen from other siblings. When their work permits came, they made good on their word, too. Both brothers hit the pavement looking for jobs. I wished them luck knowing the environment they’d be facing. I wasn’t blind to the shop signs. Help Wanted - No Monsters. They were always home before me, and I often found large portions of leftover spaghetti in the fridge. Absolute sweethearts.

 

** **Part Five: Employment** **

We did eventually have a house-warming party. I had invited Anna, Cassie, Maria, Eduardo, and Darrell. Everyone else I knew was working either on that night or they had to work early the next morning. On their part, the boys brought over some close friends (Undyne and her girlfriend, Alphys, Toriel - whom I was not expecting to see again so soon, or ever. I mean, she was royalty after all, a robot Monster celebrity, and a ghost Monster DJ who spun some sweet tunes.) We’d stayed up until nearly three in the morning munching on pizza and watching anime. Undyne and I got into a drinking contest, downing tequila shots one after another. I think I won?

 

In any case, I remember Darrell and Toriel talking to one another and they seemed to catch on like a house on fire. At one point, I was hanging back observing the others as they watched InuYasha reruns, since it was a series I had completed years ago (these days I prefer documentaries, but they’re not really party material), and Mettaton had drunkenly tried to kiss Alphys…cue fish lady having a fit. But that’s all I really recall from it.

 

One morning, about five weeks after the brothers had moved in, and while I was filling out papers in the office at work, Papyrus texted me.

 

 **Babybones** : I HAVE EXCITING NEWS!

 

 **You** : What is it, Paps?

 

 **Babybones** : I HAVE FOUND A JOB!

 

 **You** : That’s great! What are you doing?

 

 **Babybones** : THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER HAS

HIRED ME TO DESIGN PUZZLES!

 

 **You** : Nice. I get off work at three today.  
Dinner’s on me tonight. We’ll celebrate.

 

 **Babybones** : SEE YOU TONIGHT, HUMAN!

 

Papyrus would be happy making puzzles for the paper, and who knows, it might lead to bigger things for him. I wondered how Sans’ search was going, and what I should make for dinner. “Focus, Constance, you’re at work. You can’t fuck up these forms.” Thank goodness Darrell was taking care of things downstairs today. I didn’t want to go home covered in dust tonight.

 

Hours later, I was back on the bus heading home, earbuds in. 3:12…3:27…3:35. Stop. Get groceries. Fresh tomatoes, potatoes, mozzarella, basil, sage, and parmesan. Everything else I needed was at home already.

 

“36.15. Have a nice day.”

 

I hailed a cab to help get me the rest of the way home. 4:32. And fuck multiple trips, never mind the red lines crossing my arms, I carried all the bags in my arms from the cab to the flat in one go, from the entrance, through the living room (past a napping Sans), and into the kitchen. I pulled everything out of the bags, grabbed other ingredients from their nesting spots, and pulled down pots and pans. I was just getting a large pot of water to boil when Sans came in. Sometimes I still can’t believe how quietly and suddenly he can appear. “Hey. Did I wake you?”

 

“nope. what’re ya making, kid?” Sans calls nearly everyone kid, or pal, or buddy.

 

“Dinner. Wanna help?”

 

“nah, i’m not too good in the kitchen.”

 

“Well, you could pick up dessert. No cooking required.”

 

“sweet. can do.”

 

“Swing by Cassie’s and tell her we need three of her budino desserts. She usually has caramel and butterscotch on hand, get whichever you prefer.” Sans left just as quietly as he’d come. In his absence, I finished scrubbing and peeling the potatoes so they could be boiled. They’d take about forty minutes to get tender, and in the meantime, I measured out the flour, salt, and butter, and grated the parmesan cheese. When Sans did get back (just as I was taking the potatoes from the hot water), he put the desserts in the fridge and sat at the bar stool. It was something Papyrus had brought in one day so he could read cookbooks in the kitchen - the best place to read them, according to the cinnamon roll skeleton. He watched me push the potatoes through my food mill into a large bowl. I stopped, washed the mill, and leaned against the counter.

 

“why’d you stop?”

 

“They have to cool.”

 

“then what?”

 

“Then I’ll add the salt, flour, and egg. Knead it all together, roll it out into a rope, cut it….do you like to cook, Sans?”

 

“nah, it’s more paps’ thing; living underground, there wasn’t a whole lotta opportunity to cook.”

 

“How did you all eat then? What did you eat?”

 

“whatever we could find. magic helped. some grains grow everywhere… meat was rare.”

 

“Hmm, that’s rough.” He was silent. I checked the potatoes; cool enough. “You can get another pot of water boiling for me, if you’d like.” I sprinkled some salt over the potatoes, sifted in the flour, made a well in the centre, and dropped in an egg, then got mixing. Sans got busy with the stove. It was nice, the two of us making gnocchi from scratch in the early evening, sunset light coming in through the window, spilling across the counters and floor. I showed him how to roll out the dough and cut it then drop it into the water to cook.

 

“While that’s going - and it’ll go fast, trust me - we can get a pan ready. Just need to toss the butter, parmesan, and sage together.”

 

“how long does it take for these to cook?”

 

“Only about two minutes, they’ll float to the top when they’re ready. Use that spoon next to you to move them into the pan when they do.” We worked like that for a few minutes, transferring the raw gnocchi into the pot, then the pan, and when they all were in the pan, I ladled the water into the mixture.

 

“why’d you do that?”

 

“The water has starch in it from the potatoes so it helps everything in the pan stick together, and makes a really creamy sauce when the parm melts. You __could__  use actual cream instead, but I think it makes the sauce too heavy.”

 

Sans nodded, and looked up at the wall clock, “paps’ll be here soon.”

 

“Good, take this to the table. I’ll get started on the caprese.” The short skeleton Monster raised a browbone. “It’s sliced tomato and mozzarella with basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinaigrette on top.” He still looked confused. “Just go set the table.” I rolled my eyes and smiled, slapping his shoulder playfully. He tensed.

 

Just as I was topping off the caprese, the front door opened. “I HAVE RETURNED AND AM READY TO CELEBRATE MY GREAT SUCCESS!”

 

“Go sit down! Dinner’s almost done! What do you want to drink? Water?”

 

“YOU KNOW ME WELL, HUMAN CONSTANCE!” Well, it may have taken him a few weeks, but he is using my name now. Progress. Water, wine, ketchup, and plate of caprese in hand, I brought everything to the table. Over dinner, Papyrus regaled us with his tale of job-hunting which he exclaimed was much more fun than human-hunting. Hypothetically, he was quick to add. They never actually went human-hunting, except to play hide-and-seek with Frisk, the Human child turned ambassador.

 

“When’s your first day?”

 

“THIS SATURDAY! THE EDITOR IS GOING TO GIVE ME THE GRAND TOUR AND I WILL BE ABLE TO OBSERVE EVERYTHING!”

 

“That’s nice. Have you met the editor already then?”

 

“YES, HE IS VERY FRIENDLY. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM AND BECOMING GOOD FRIENDS!”

 

“Just be careful, Papyrus. A lot of bosses seem friendly and then…”

 

“you think he’d hurt paps?”

 

“No, but it’s a common practice at work to tell your employees ‘oh, you’re like family to me’ or ‘you’re one of my best friends’ and really the only thing they want is to get free labour out of you. I’m not saying he would, you should totally make friends with your coworkers, just exercise caution.” Conversation flowed from there, mostly with Papyrus asking about the Human work environment, and how to best make friends in the office.

 

“HAVE YOU MANAGED TO FIND A JOB YET, SANS?”

 

“yeah, but it won’t start for a few weeks.”

 

“Really? Where’re you working?”

 

“grillbz finally got permission to open shop, gonna help him out.”

 

“Who’s Grillbz?”

 

“GRILLBY IS A FIRE MONSTER WHO OWNED THE MOST DISGUSTING BURGER RESTAURANT IN THE UNDERGROUND.”

 

“the __only__ one in the underground”

 

“THE FOOD WAS MUCH TOO GREASY! NONE OF IT COULD BE CONSIDERED HEALTHY!”

 

“I believe you, Paps.”

 

“grillbz is a good friend,” his gaze shifted, “….by the way, you never told us what you do.”

 

“YES, HUMAN CONSTANCE, YOU ARE VERY SKILLED AT EVADING THE SUBJECT. YOU MUST TELL US NOW THAT WE ALL HAVE EMPLOYMENT!”

 

Crap. Can’t avoid it forever, I guess. “I, uh, Iworkatamorgueandcrematory.” I rushed through the statement. Working at a morgue wasn’t necessarily bad, except that we also ran the crematory and after a full day of burning bodies, I often came home with a fine layer of dust on me. Monsters don’t like seeing Humans with dust on them. It’s why I was glad to come home late. I mean, it isn’t Monster dust, it’s Human ashes, and it’s not like I killed these people, they were already dead, but still….

 

They asked me to say it again, slowly, and I obliged. Please don’t hate me, don’t be scared, it’s only death.

 

“CREAM-A-TORY?” Papyrus tested the word in his mouth. “CREAM, LIKE ICE-CREAM? HUMAN! CAN YOU MAKE THE ICE-CREAM CAKES I HAVE SEEN ON TV?”

 

“Well, yes, I know how, but that’s not-”

 

“YOU MUST TEACH ME EVERYTHING YOU KNOW! WE WILL TRAIN IN THE KITCHEN TOGETHER!”

 

“Uh, sure, Paps, whatever you want.” The awkwardness passed; clearly Papyrus didn’t know what a morgue was - and that made sense, after all, Monster bodies turned to dust almost immediately after death, I'd been told; this is an entirely Human practice; they wouldn’t need a crematory Underground.

 

After dinner, Papyrus cleared the table but Sans and I did the dishes while he got ready for bed. I washed, he rinsed.

 

“thanks.”

 

“For what?” I handed a plate to him.

 

He grabbed it, “not telling him about your job.”

 

Scrub, scrub, scrub. “Yeah, I figured it might not go over well.” Pass.

 

Grab. “where’d you learn to cook like that, anyway?”

 

“Used to work in an Italian restaurant, left with a bunch of recipes.”

 

“why’d ya leave?”

 

“Anna needed help at the morgue, and I kinda had a thing for death?” Sans’ body went rigid. “Not in the I’m-going-to-kill-people kind of way, but like, I don’t know. Humans’ relationship with death is weird. We’re scared of it, and we don’t really have a reason to be besides it being unknown?”

 

“why handle the bodies though? what made you want to do that?”

 

I shrugged, not really having an answer for that. “They never bothered me.” We finished washing the dishes in silence. Sans read Papyrus his nightly bedtime story. I showered and went to bed in my darkened bedroom, pulling the weighted blanket up to my neck and tucking it under my chin. It’s so comfortable. Sometimes I wish I never had to get up. I could just sleep forever.


End file.
